Rahane sees another turning track for 4th England Test

Rahane said the pitch for the fourth Test starting in Ahmedabad on Thursday would be similar to the one used in the previous Test.

India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said the pitch for the fourth Test starting in Ahmedabad on Thursday would be similar to the one used in the previous Test but the game could pan out differently since India and England will go back to playing with the traditional red ball.

The third Test, played with the pink ball, finished within a record two days, with India inflicting a 10-wicket defeat on England to take a 2-1 lead in the series. India need at least a draw to secure a berth in the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship against New Zealand at Lord’s in June. England are out of contention.

“The wicket would be similar to the third Test and also the second Test what we played in Chennai. The wicket would be similar, yes the pink ball made the difference, it was coming much quicker off the wicket as compared to the red ball. That was an adjustment we had to make,” said Rahane in a virtual press conference on Tuesday.

“I don’t know how it’s going to play. We have to wait and see. We respect the England team. They are a very good team. We played good cricket in last two Tests and England played really well in the first game. We are not taking them lightly,” he said.

Asked if DRS has changed the approach of batsmen, especially while defending, Rahane said: “I do not think so that the approach has changed because of the DRS. It’s all in the mind, DRS is really helping all the teams because you can review the decisions and take your chances. But I do not think mentally, as a batsmen especially, not many changes.”

The key to playing spin on pitches where the ball can skid, according to Rahane, is to play the line. “It is important to play the line when the ball is turning, but with the pink ball, it was completely different. The ball was skidding on, the pace was different from the red ball. We have hardly played with the pink ball, this was our third game with it. We need to practice more with the pink ball.”

Rahane also responded to criticism of the pitch for the second Test, saying India never complain about pitches that aid heavy seam movement. “The wickets, when we tour abroad, no one speaks about how seaming they are. They always speak about the technique of the Indian batsmen; I don’t feel we need to take seriously what people say.

“When the wicket is grassy and behaves up and down, then it becomes dangerous but we haven’t complained about it or we have never spoken about it.”

Source: Hindustan Times

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